The Key, October 2024 Edition

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

OCTOBER 2024

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends

Student success is everyone’s responsibility Fourth straight year of enrollment growth tops 3,000

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore hit a milestone this fall as its student population eclipsed 3,000 for the first time in five years.

UMES’ combined undergraduate and graduate total of 3,166 marked the fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth.

Reaching the 3,100-student milestone was part of a goal set at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Latoya Jenkins, UMES’ Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Experience.

“We were persistent in our efforts to create a plan based on our recruiting strategy to reach a large population of students that would be successful here at UMES,” Jenkins said.

“We want to ensure that any barriers these students had to enrollment were removed so they could start their journey to change their lives.”

First-year enrollment led the growth, as 958 first-time students – 828 freshmen and 128 transfer students – became part of the Hawk family. Last year, 733 new undergraduate students came to Princess Anne.

Jenkins credited the increases in recruitment and retention to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, led by associate vice president of Admissions and recruitment Darryl Isom.

Isom pointed to a more aggressive approach communicating recruitment efforts that included creating partnerships, and pipelines and utilizing alumni recruitment.

“We made a concerted effort in expanding our national and

international recruitment footprint allowing us to recruit more students outside of the Maryland region,” he said. “We know that the more prospective students learn about UMES, the more they’ll want to attend.”

BUILDING A TEAM TO SPUR STUDENT GROWTH In order to meet the needs of a growing student population, Jenkins developed an experienced student affairs leadership team that leveraged skills from student retention, to social life on campus, to expanding career services.

Jenkins’ team includes Dr. Reginald Garcon, who now is the permanent registrar and associate vice president of Student Records, and recent hires Dr. April Johnson, associate vice president of Recruitment and Student Success, and Dr. D. Jamar Simmons, associate vice president and dean of Students.

“I was looking for a team who had skills they could leverage on our university and help bring about new initiatives or sustain the goals that we have,” Jenkins said. “They are all well studied in their craft and have proven themselves in the area of transformation at their previous institutions.”

Johnson, who oversees career services and updating the student code of conduct and the student handbook, brings experience that includes more than a decade at Bowie State University. continued on page 3

IN THIS ISSUE

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Alsobrooks Visit

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U.S. News Ranking

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Campus Upgrades

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Summer Study Abroad

PAGES 6-7 Founders’ Week

PAGE 8 Viral X Post

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New SESA Hires

PAGE 10 Human Ecology

PAGE 11 Athletics

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Homecoming Preview

2 THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024

ANGELA ALSOBROOKS VISITS UMES

U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks comes to UMES Speech and meet-and-greet marks her second visit to the campus

Prince George’s County Executive and U.S. Senate candidate for Maryland Angela Alsobrooks (center), walks with UMES president Heidi M. Anderson, SGA leadership, and members of her supporters as they head towards a campaign rally held at the Student Services Center on Oct. 2.

When Angela Alsobrooks arrived at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on October 2, it felt like a reunion.

Flanked by members of her campaign team and UMES alumni, Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County Executive and U.S. Senate candidate for Maryland, was greeted with hugs and handshakes from members of a UMES contingent including president Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, SGA president Keith Ceruti II, SGA vice president Jada Wilkinson, and others.

Alsobrooks’s visit, her second to the campus, featured an event in the Student Services Center rotunda where she addressed students and fielded audience questions about policy and why she visited UMES. “I’m a mother of a 19-year-old. I recognize how important it is to come and talk to and inspire these students and to be inspired by them,” she said.

“And the only way to truly understand the people we represent is to show up where they are, listen to them, and talk with them.”

One of the students Alsobrooks talked with was senior history major Quinton Smith. Smith, a democracy fellow for UMES’s Campus Vote Project, said Alsobrooks’ visit was vital.

“It’s important for candidates to

come to our campus, lay out their platform, and allow students to learn more about what they’re running for who they are as a person, and how it directly impacts them,” Smith said.

“It makes sense for her to come here to the Eastern Shore, because we represent a big part of her campaign, the youth vote.”

Almazi Matthews, a senior agriculture major and Prince George’s County resident said she looked forward to the opportunity to talk and meet with Alsobrooks.

“I have never had an experience like this,” Matthews said. “My heart was pounding, and I was so excited.

It was great seeing how many people were here who are also invested in this election season and its importance.”

Alsobrooks, who would become the fourth African-American female U.S. Senator in history, if elected in November, said while that honor is of historical significance, Alsobrooks wants to ensure that the government meets the demographics of its constituency.

“I think every race, gender, and background should be represented because it makes our politics better,” she said. “The lived experiences of every person in our community should be reflected in that.”

(From left) Angela Alsobrooks talks with UMES senior Almazi Matthews following Alsobrooks’ speech in the Student Services Center rotunda.

Angela Alsobrooks and SGA Vice President Jada Wilkinson (right) stand on stage as they address an audience of students, faculty, and staff inside the Student Services Center rotunda.

U.S. NEWS RANKING

THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024 3

continued from page 1

Simmons, whose previous stops included Xavier, Kentucky State, and Dillard universities, supervises clubs and organizations, the Student Government Association and Imperial Court, the Campus Activities Board, and the Office of Residence Life.

One of Simmons’ additional focuses is on developing and advancing student advocacy.

“At the previous institutions where I worked, I’d been able to build out avenues for students to receive that level of advocacy when we’re at certain tables,” he said.

Sometimes, we don’t always have that student voice, and it’s important to have the right people at the table. You have to be able to make sure that students get the things that they not only need, but they deserve.”

With a growing student population and the necessary staff in place to manage the growth, Jenkins said the next priority is to ensure that campus community concerns continue to be heard.

“Student success is everyone’s business,” she said. “We want to hear about the things we’re doing well and the things we can really look at and we want to get the word out that everyone should be sharing their experiences about the things we can do to make our campus community even better.”

UMES NAMED A TOP-10 PUBLIC HBCU BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR Overall HBCU ranking marks seventh consecutive year in the Top 20

For the second consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as a Top 10 public Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

UMES received a ranking of ninth among public HBCUs and tied for 16th among 77 HBCUs in the 2024-25 edition. It is the seventh consecutive year UMES has maintained a Top-20 overall HBCU ranking.

UMES jumped five spots to No. 150 in undergraduate engineering programs without a doctorate.

“Retaining our place among the top 10 public HBCUs in the nation speaks to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s consistent pursuit of excellence,” said UMES President Heidi M. Anderson. “And as much as our students love to grow academically and culturally here, our faculty and staff love empowering our students’ upward mobility.”

UMES is Maryland’s only 1890 Land Grant University and presently has eight health professions programs, the most among HBCUs nationally.

Pending final accreditation approval, UMES will add its

ninth health profession, veterinary medicine, in the fall of 2026, becoming the first standalone program in Maryland and the first at a public HBCU. UMES offers bachelor’s degrees in 38 areas, including such fields of study as engineering, golf management, hospitality studies, kinesiology, marine science education, mathematics, information technology, and humanities. Cybersecurity and pharmaceutical sciences are among 17 master’s degree programs in UMES’ graduate school, which also offers eight doctoral degrees, including pharmacy, physical therapy, and toxicology.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recognizes UMES as a “high-research activity” or “R2” doctoral institution.

U.S. News asks senior administrators – presidents, academic policymakers, and admissions directors – to rate the academic quality of peer institutions. Graduation and retention rates and faculty resources also factor into the ranking equation.

4 THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024

CAMPUS UPGRADES

Works in progress Infrastructure and facility improvements among ongoing campus upgrades Five major enhancement projects are taking place or have recently been completed around the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus.

The projects, ranging from infrastructure improvements to building renovation and construction, play a vital role in the function of the institution.

“These projects may not be the glitzy ones, but they are necessary and overall, improve the operations here on campus,” said Wade Henley, Interim Vice President of Administrative Affairs. “The timing of many of these projects will continue to proceed throughout the year.”

Among the ongoing projects addressed this summer were the flood mitigation plan at several buildings, including Kiah Hall and Frederick Douglass Library, sewer pipe replacement to limit environmental impact on the Manokin River, and the conversion from diesel fuel to natural gas encompassing 11 campus buildings.

“With the completion of these projects, there will be fewer worries about flooding or utility issues happening to us,” Henley said.

One of the renovation projects taking place on campus includes upgrades to George Washington Carver Hall, where interior and exterior improvements are being made. The overhauls at Carver include the refurbishing of laboratory space and the replacement of the roof, windows, and doors.

Henley added that the improvements to Carver and other campus locations, such as residential dormitories, are impactful to overall student experience.

“It’s all well connected,” he said. “Looking from the standpoint of our strategic plan and our facility master plan, we want to make good sense and good use of the resources of the university.”

Additional checklist items include the construction of a new 25,231-square-foot Agricultural Research and Education Center, which began Aug. 12 and renovations to the athletic fields, including the installation of turf fields for the baseball and softball teams. Work on the athletic fields is tentatively pegged to begin between October and November.

“Whether it’s in academics or in athletics, the goal of these projects is to ensure that we have top-notch facilities for our students where they can perform their best and that they are deserving of while receiving the best education they can,” Henley said.

IT UPGRADES MAKES CAMPUS ‘ONE BIG TECHNOLOGICAL FAMILY’ University of Maryland Eastern Shore employees are also benefitting from several technological changes across campus, much of it happening at their desks.

As part of technical upgrades performed by the Information Technology department, UMES began working on a checklist of tasks including the campus-wide transition to the Windows 11 operating system, migrations from Google Workspace to Microsoft Office 365 and a new phone system, and the switch to a new printing system.

Exterior and interior improvements to George Washington Carver Hall are one of five major enhancement projects.

Flood mitigation projects at buildings such as the Frederick Douglass Library and Kiah Hall are being completed.

The sewer pipes are being replaced to limit environmental impact on the Manokin River.

The printer and phone migrations were completed this summer, and the switch to Office 365 was completed in September. The upgrades, according to Mark Van Pelt, UMES’s chief information officer, offer security and convenience.

Added Van Pelt: “The main benefit is modernization. We want to be mobile ready as a campus and allow people to have a more fluid way to work.”

The change to Windows 11 was necessitated by the impending end of support for the current Windows 10 operating system, while the conversion from Google to Office 365 and OneDrive was to provide better security for sensitive data.

In addition to the security benefits offered by Office 365, the switch will allow UMES faculty and staff to collaborate with researchers more easily throughout the University System of Maryland as UMES works to develop its own research network.

“This simplifies transferring of information and makes things easier,” Van Pelt said. “It makes us one big technological family.”

SUMMER STUDY ABROAD

THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024 5

Hawk Pride goes global UMES students enriched by summer study abroad experiences This past summer, University of Maryland Eastern Shore students participated in various study abroad trips spanning the globe.

The faculty-led excursions, many supported by UMES’s Center for International Education (CIE), covered six countries over three continents including Columbia, England, Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Zambia.

As part of the study abroad experience, the Office of Academic Affairs, which houses the CIE, provides a $1,000 scholarship per student to help students defray travel costs to increase participation in the trips. In all, 44 students participated in study abroad trips.

“This was an impressive turnout for our study abroad programs,” said CIE Interim Director Phillip Broussard.

“Last summer, we offered three different programs, which were all under enrolled, so we had to cancel all of them.”

Broussard said there was a 100-percent increase in student participation over the past 10 years, and a 133-percent increase compared with last summer. He attributed the growth in interest to both greater awareness of the study abroad programs and students wanting to travel more post-pandemic.

“We wanted to increase the capacity for students to understand why travel is important to their future and how cultural understanding really helps to bring the world together,” he said.

“The best way to do that is when you’re in an immersive environment and experiencing travel first-hand.”

Junior rehabilitation psychology major Angelica Vilorio is one of five UMES students who traveled to Denmark for a two-week trip. Vilorio, who is from Puerto Rico, said this trip was her first outside the United States and described the experience as “eye-opening” because of the cultural differences she saw in Denmark.

From left: UMES associate professor Dr. Alexis Lyras, Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Dr. T. Sean Vasaitis, UMES student Ryon Banks, Kinesiology Department chair Dr. Yen Dang, and students Neah Shaw and Kaitlyn Eaton in Athens, Greece.

From left, UMES kinesiology students Ryon Banks, Neah Shaw, Kaitlyn Eaton and Victoria Casteel made history as UMES became the first HBCU students to visit the International Olympic Academy during the Olympism in Action: Champions of Change Conference held in June in Olympia.

“It’s more of a socially conscious place,” she said. “There’s more of a consideration of others and it feels like they really care about each other.”

A HISTORY-MAKING VISIT Among the other faculty-led trips abroad, the group’s travel to Greece had twofold historical significance.

Members of UMES’s Department of Kinesiology attended the Olympism in Action: Champions of Change Conference led by UMES Kinesiology professor Dr. Alexis Lyras. UMES became the first HBCU to visit the International Olympic Academy (IOA) – the main educational and cultural institution of the International Olympic Committee. In all, five UMES faculty members and four students participated in the conference.

As part of the conference, students attended lectures, and participated in a brainstorming session to “develop strategies to tackle pressing community issues,” according to Dr. Yen Dang, Kinesiology Department Chair, who also attended the conference.

The UMES contingent developed a proposal called “Olympism from Humanity,” which focuses on addressing health education within the local community through exercise.

UMES junior rehabilitation-psychology major Angelica Vilorio poses for photo during her three-week faculty-led trip to Denmark in June.

The concept would lead to the creation of a field day event for children with an Olympic theme to increase engagement.

During their last day at IOA, the UMES group also made stops in Athens, Delphi, and the island of Trizonia.

“Learning about the foundations of the Olympics allowed me to understand the true scope of Olympic ideals and how they have the potential to reach further than just the games,” said Kaitlyn Eaton, a freshman exercise science major. “Going to Greece also gave me some much-needed cultural experience, an opportunity I likely would have never had otherwise.”

6 THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024

FOUNDERS’ WEEK

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UMES president Heidi M. Anderson (center) poses for a photo with members of the UMES Imperial Court in front of Metropolitan United Methodist Church on Sunday, Sept 8.

Former MLB Executive Leonard Coleman, the grandson of Princess Anne Academy president Thomas Kiah, recounts the story of his family during the Founders’ Week Wreath Laying on Friday, Sept. 13.

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University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman (center) poses for a photo with members of the UMES SGA following an event at the Frederick Douglass Library on Friday, Sept. 13.

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The coaches of UMES’s Athletic Department pose with President Heidi M. Anderson during a “Meet the Coaches” event on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.

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Members of the UMES Student Gospel Choir perform a piece during the Founders’ Week Wreath Laying on Friday, Sept. 13.

FOUNDERS’ WEEK

rs’ Week 6

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Jamison Hytche-Hunter, the Grandson of former UMES president William P. Hytche, speaks to the audience at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center during an MOU signing event on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

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From Left: Mr. UMES, Caleb Clark, University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman, UMES President Heidi M. Anderson, and Miss UMES, Oluwanifemi ‘Mercy’ Faniyi, pose for a photo outside of the Richard A. Henson Center on Friday, Sept. 13.

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UMES graduates and members of the William P. Hytche Legacy Initiative From left: Ernest Satchell, Charles Gregg, Patricia Alexander, and Bill Armstrong sign a memorandum of understanding transferring the contents of William P. Hytche Museum to UMES during a Wednesday, Sept. 11 event at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.

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University System of Maryland Regent Yvette Lewis addresses the audience during a Special Conversation with USM Chancellor Jay Perman on Friday, Sept. 13.

UMES history professor Dr. Kathryn BarrettGaines leads a group of two-dozen students on a historical ghost tour around the campus on Monday, Sept. 9. Stops included the sites of former campus buildings Kiah Gymnasium, DelCon Hall, and “Olney”, which served as the as the home of Princess Anne Academy.

8 THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024

VIRAL X POST

‘It feels like it’s hope for people’

UMES pharmacy student’s tweet goes viral, becomes inspirational When Taiwo Oluyemo, an incoming graduate student to the pharmacy program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, shared her feelings of hopefulness in a Sept. 3 social media post on X (formerly Twitter), she had no idea how that sentiment would resonate with so many people.

In the first day alone, there were more than 6,000 retweets and likes combined. In the first 10 days, there were more than 8,000 impressions.

As of publication, Oluyemo’s post had more than 8,500 impressions. Posts with more than 1,000 impressions are generally considered to be viral.

“I’ve always wanted to post something like that,” Oluyemo said. “I’ve seen so many people posting about starting their programs that I wanted to do the same. I never expected to get as popular as it did.”

Oluyemo’s journey into pharmacy and to UMES began in her native Nigeria, where she first interned at a pharmacy before pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos.

“That internship really opened me up to see different parts of pharmacy,” she said. “I was able to relate to people to the point where they are open to come to you with their problems and to provide solutions for them.”

Oluyemo, who plans to become an industrial

pharmacist and professor after graduation, said she solidified her decision to attend UMES after extensive research and discussion with professors in the program and alumni.

“I felt welcomed from the beginning,” she said. “And the environment has been calming and receptive.”

So, what does Oluyemo think about the reaction to her post?

“There’s always pros and cons of social media, but when you get to be part of the positive side of going viral, it feels like it’s hope for people,” she said. “People are encouraged by seeing you, and it allows them to dream.”

‘WE ARE OUR ANCESTORS’ WILDEST DREAMS’ New political science professor Dr. Constance Pruitt hopes to increase political awareness among UMES student body When Dr. Constance Pruitt joined the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in August as an assistant professor of political science and international affairs in the Department of Social Sciences, the two-time Howard University graduate came on a mission.

“There were a few reasons why I absolutely wanted to join the Hawk family,” said Pruitt, who brings her Howard bachelor’s and doctoral degrees along with teaching experience from several institutions including, James Madison University, Trinity Washington University, and her alma mater.

“One is the fact that I really loved my experience as an HBCU alum myself and I wanted to be back at a historically Black college and university give back to the community.”

This semester, Pruitt will teach introductory classes on American government and logic. The logic class will focus on how students can use the Socratic method to make sound arguments and apply them to the world of politics.

With much of the student population eligible to vote in their first-ever general election this November, Pruitt said she is looking forward to helping them understand the importance of their right to vote.

“One thing I’d like the students to know is that we are literally our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” she said. “So, to take all of the effort that they have put into voting and just to kind of discard it, that’s a huge disservice to our community.”

One of Pruitt’s goals at UMES is to bring in more information about politics to the campus and its impact on every aspect of life.

“It doesn’t matter what students are studying,” she said. “Politics is everywhere, and I want to make sure that, at least for my students and students on campus, even if they don’t take classes from me, that they are able to make well informed political decisions.”

NEW SESA HIRES

THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024 9

‘We’re educating the entire university’ School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts adds 10 new faculty members

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s School of Education Social Sciences and the Arts (SESA) is undergoing a renaissance of new growth.

SESA, which houses the departments of criminal justice, education, fine arts, social sciences, English and Modern Languages, and most recently, mathematics, has hired 10 new professors over the summer.

The additions, which encompass many departments, were needed to fill vacancies created by retirements, and to meet the demand of an increasing student population.

“We were looking for as much diversity as possible to reflect our student population, so we sought instructors from different backgrounds and different experiences,” said interim SESA Dean Christopher Harrington. “We have hires both internationally and locally who are bringing some exciting research with them.”

Among the new hires are three faculty members in the Department of English and Modern Languages, three new criminal justice professors, and four new social science professors and lecturers – including one focusing on political science and international affairs.

“We’ve made some very dynamic hires who are going to make significant contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Dr. Robert Brown, chair of both the Social Sciences and Criminal Justice departments. “It’s rare to see this many new hires at one time, but it’s a sign of positive growth.”

Brown said with many of the hires coming in the two departments he chairs; the instruction and expertise students will receive from the new instructors will be impactful.

“We’ve got several folks who, in their own right, are important additions and are capable of doing things that will be great for the campus,” Brown said.

In addition to the increased staff, SESA is seeing growing interest within its many fine arts curriculums, including Sequential Arts and Digital Media Studies.

“Sequential Arts is a wildly popular concentration,” Harrington said. “Every time we do a recruiting event at a high school, it’s always the comic books they want to talk about.”

With the versatility of programs in SESA, Harrington said there is discussion about renaming the school to something that best accommodates all the studies. The final determination for a new name will be decided upon by a committee.

“I think SESA is a department of core knowledge,” Harrington said. “So, even if your major is one of the other schools, you’re taking our English, math, humanities and general education classes. We’re not just educating SESA students, we’re educating the entire university.”

Dr. Shannon Paige Clark

Dr. Leslie Foncette

Dr. Gina Gibbs

Dr. Danika Hickling

Dr. Shamma Hickling

Dionna Linton

Dr. Marcella Mulhollem

Dr. Michael Serwornoo

Jessica Money

10 THE KEY | OCTOBER 2024

HUMAN ECOLOGY

Human Ecology program, Child Development

Online human ecology programs strive to narrow workforce gap

Twenty-three new students among the inaugural cohort for newly launched virtual curriculums Innovative new programs are now enabling students to earn their degrees while balancing professional and personal commitments.

The Department of Human Ecology has added two fully online learning opportunities to help meet workforce demand for qualified professionals in child development, dietetics and nutrition, family and consumer sciences, and fashion merchandising and design.

A long-awaited online bachelor’s degree in child development received more than 200 inquiries from February to May after its approval by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. The wave of interest translated into 62 applicants accepted (an 89% acceptance rate) and five eight-week courses running for the inaugural semester this fall.

“Many of the students were pursuing or have completed associate’s degrees in child development or related fields and are located far from the UMES campus, or are working full-time. Traveling to campus, then, is not an option,” said Dr. Michelle Spencer, director of the UMES Child Development Program.

Among the inaugural students, 23 will earn their degrees at a substantial cost reduction thanks to the availability of Child Care Center and Professional Development scholarship funds from the Maryland State Department of Education, Spencer said.

An online master’s degree in human ecology is also aimed at helping students further their career goals.

The interdisciplinary program offers five specialized tracks, child development, clinical nutrition, nutrition and wellness, family and consumer sciences, and fashion merchandising. Students can choose the track that best

Michael Kirtsos and his Dietetics and Nutrition class.

aligns with their interests, said Dr. Bridgett ClintonScott, Human Ecology Graduate Program director.

Also, for Fall 2024, UMES has expanded its current concentration in fashion to a full-fledged bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising and design.

The in-person program aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the industry, including product development, fashion entrepreneurship and merchandising.

Photos: Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications

AT H L E T I C S

Five inductees, ’74 NIT Team’s golden anniversary to highlight athletics hall of fame ceremony Banquet and ceremony to take place Nov. 8 at Student Services Center Ballroom Five former University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletes will be enshrined in the Hawks Athletics Hall of Fame as part of UMES’s Homecoming festivities.

Track & Field and cross country athletes Allodin Fothergill and steeplechase runner Khalil Rmidi Kinini, baseball player Stephen Bull, and men’s basketball players Dominique Elliott and Ed Tyson, are among this years inductees to be honored during the Friday, Nov. 8 banquet event at the Student Services Center ballroom.

In addition to the new inductees, the 50th anniversary of 1973-74 UMES men’s basketball team that reached the NIT Tournament will be recognized for being the first HBCU team to receive an invitation to the then-prestigious tournament.

The 1973-74 Hawks, coached by John Bates, gained national attention throughout the year for their offensive prowess as they went 27-2 while being led by top scorers Rubin Collins, Joe Pace, Talvin Skinner, Billy Gordon, and Tyrone Johnson. UMES had the nation’s second-best offense that season, scoring an average of 93.3 points per-game - 13 years before college basketball adopted the three-point shot.

UMES won 20 consecutive games to start the season, receiving its only regular-season loss to Morgan State, which was avenged a few weeks later as the Hawks won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title.

The Hawks won their first-round NIT matchup against Manhattan in famed Madison Square Garden, before having their season ended in a two-point loss to Jacksonville in the following round.

The team, which saw Collins, Skinner, Gordon, and Pace either drafted by or play with NBA teams, was inducted into the UMES Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.

The hall of fame event will include dinner, remarks from Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Tara A. Owens followed by interviews with each inductee. Tickets for the event will be available at the UMES Athletics Website.

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2024 Hawks Hall of Fame Inductees ALLODIN FOTHERGILL

Fothergill, a Jamaica native, was an NCAA All-American in 2010 while being a part of 4x100 meter relay and 4x400 meter relay teams that broke school records.

He also set the school record in the 500-meters and was UMES Male Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

Fothergill has also competed in the Jamaica National Championship, World Outdoor Junior Championships, Outdoor World Championships, IAAF World Championships and Pan-American Games.

KHALIL RMIDI KININI

A distance runner from Malaga, Spain, Kinini solidified himself as one of the top runners in the nation by becoming the first UMES cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA national championship meet in 2016. He also competed on the national stage in the spring of 2017 as a steeplechase runner. Kinini is a three-time MEAC steeplechase champion and four-time cross country champion. He won the MEAC outdoor title in the 1500and 5000-meter races. He holds multiple school records including the steeplechase, 10k, 3000-meter and the mile.

STEPHEN BULL

An outfielder from Millsboro, Delaware, Bull ranks second in single-season hits (68), and third in career hits (199). In his senior season in 2014, Bull had a .349 batting average, an .827 OPS, 41 runs scored, 13 extra-base hits, and a team-high 12 steals. Bull was also named 201314 Male Athlete of the Year and was selected to the All-MEAC First- and Tournament Teams. His collegiate career totals include a batting average of .312, 199 hits, 33 extra base hits, 62 walks and 25 stolen bases.

DOMINIQUE ELLIOTT

A post player from Savannah, Georgia, Elliott garnered a pair of All-American honors from College Court Report and BoxToRow Sports after an impressive senior campaign during the 2015-2016 season. Elliott averaged 14.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the field as a senior - good for third on the alltime single season list for the Hawks. In addition to his All-American honors, Elliott was named to the MEAC First Team, NABC All-District Team and was a two-time MEAC Player of the Week.

ED TYSON

A 6-2 guard from Baltimore, Maryland, Tyson was a prolific scorer for the Hawks in the mid-2000s. As a freshman, Tyson earned MEAC All-Rookie Team honors.

As a sophomore, Tyson led the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game, including a season-high 37 points against South Carolina State. In his final season with the Hawks, Tyson eclipsed 1,000 career points while averaging a conference best 20.2 points per game.

Content provided by UMES Athletics

University Relations 30665 Student Services Center Lane Princess Anne, MD 21853

The UMES Extension’s Small Farm Program hosts its 21st annual Small Farm Conference from Nov. 1-2. Participants will be introduced to tools and strategies that can increase farm profitability and promote farm sustainability at the conference. The overall conference will consist of three tracks — non-traditional agriculture; business and marketing; and ag research and trending topics. Demonstrations and tours will round out the conference.

The event takes place at the Student Services Center on the UMES campus. The Friday, Nov. 1 session is from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the Saturday, Nov. 2 session is from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required before Oct. 23 and is $80 per participant. The Friday session includes lunch and the Saturday session includes a full breakfast buffet and lunch.

Single-day costs are $40 per day per participant.

To register, visit www.umes.edu/extension/events. For more information, email smallfarms@umes.edu.

The Key / October 2024

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